1. Field
Example embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an image display apparatus for switching displays of two dimensional (2D) images and three dimensional (3D) images with each other, and more particularly, to a technique in which a directional light is transmitted or diffused using a variable diffuser to perform switching of 2D and 3D images.
2. Description of the Related Art
To enable a user to view three dimensional (3D) images without wearing glasses, a display through which different images are viewed depending on a location of eyes of the user may be desirable. An auto stereoscopic display may be provided as a representative technique for implementing such a display.
In this instance, a method for using more than two left/right images so as to widen an optimum viewing region of the auto stereoscopic display is referred to as a multi-view display. In the multi-view display, a more widened optimum viewing region may be obtained along with an increase in a number of images. In implementing the multi-view display, when using a parallax barrier scheme, brightness of a screen may be reduced in proportion to the number of images. Thus, a lenticular lens scheme in which the brightness of the screen is not changed regardless of the number of images may generally be used.
However, when using the lenticular lens scheme, it is difficult to implement 2D images of a maximum panel resolution easily due to a physical structure of the lenticular lens, unlike the parallax barrier scheme.
In order to overcome this problem, a technique for switching a 2D/3D image display to improve effects of the lenticular lens by changing a refractive index of the lens has been suggested. However, such a technique for changing the refractive index of the lens may have a disadvantage in that characteristics of the lens may greatly affect image quality.
Accordingly, there is a need for a technique for switching a 2D/3D image display that may overcome limitations of existing techniques for switching the 2D/3D image display, and for implementing a lens having excellent image quality and high precision without changing a shape of the lens.